Siddhant Banthia and Alexander Donski won the men’s doubles title at the Rwanda Challenger 2025 in Kigali. The fourth-seeded pair defeated third seeds Geoffrey Blancaneaux and Zdenek Kolar with a close score of 6-4, 5-7, 10-8. This victory marked Banthia’s first ATP Challenger title. India’s top-seeded Niki Poonacha faced an unexpected first-round exit.
At the Rwanda Challenger 2025 tennis tournament held in Kigali, India’s Siddhant Banthia and Bulgarian partner Alexander Donski triumphed by winning the men’s doubles title. The duo, who were seeded fourth, overcame the third seeds Geoffrey Blancaneaux of France and Zdenek Kolar from Czechia with a final score of 6-4, 5-7, 10-8, marking their first ATP Challenger title as a team and for Banthia individually at the age of 24.
The final was closely contested, with both pairs maintaining their serve in the initial eight games. Banthia and Donski seized the moment in the ninth game to break their opponents, concluding the first set 6-4. In the second set, the match took a turn as Blancaneaux and Kolar broke in the 12th game, pushing the contest into a super tiebreaker.
During the super tiebreaker, Banthia and Donski initially led 6-4 before the opponents momentarily gained an advantage at 8-7. However, the Indian-Bulgarian combination clinched the last three points to secure victory after an intense one hour and 37 minutes.
Throughout the match, Banthia and Donski showcased impressive skills, registering seven aces and saving six out of seven breakpoints they encountered. In the semi-finals, they triumphed over wildcard entrants Alafia Ayeni from the USA and Luka Pavlovic of France with a score of 6-4, 6-3 after previously defeating their unseeded first-round opponents.
In contrast, India’s top-seeded player Niki Poonacha and Zimbabwe’s Courtney John Lock faced an unexpected setback, suffering a first-round elimination against unseeded Frenchmen Corentin Denolly and Clement Tabur.
In conclusion, Siddhant Banthia and Alexander Donski’s victory at the Rwanda Challenger 2025 represents a significant milestone for both players, particularly for Banthia, who secured his first ATP Challenger title. Their performance highlighted their resilience and skill, whereas the unexpected exit of the top-seeded team emphasizes the unpredictable nature of competitive tennis. Overall, the tournament showcased remarkable talent and thrilling matchups in the realm of tennis.
Original Source: www.olympics.com
